Following roles in academia and life insurance, Neil Hilary qualified as an actuary in 1981. Since then he has practised in reinsurance (life and health) and in consultancy (building an insurance division).
He was for a short time the appointed actuary of an Icelandic life insurance company and has developed computer software for valuation and model office projection.
Since the beginning of 2002, he has worked for the Institute of Actuaries (now IFoA) in London, where his responsibilities have included professionalism, education, exam counselling and international development.